Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is the most fatal form of disease leishmaniasis. To date, there are no effective prophylactic measures and therapeutics available against VL. Recently, new immunotherapy-based approaches have been established for the management of VL. Cytokines, which are predominantly produced by helper T cells (Th) and macrophages, have received great attention that could be an effective immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of human VL. Cytokines play a key role in forming the host immune response and in managing the formation of protective and non-protective immunities during infection. Furthermore, immune response mediated through different cytokines varies from different host or animal models. Various cytokines viz. IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-12, and TNF-α play an important role during protection, while some other cytokines viz. IL-10, IL-6, IL-17, TGF-β, and others are associated with disease progression. Therefore, comprehensive knowledge of cytokine response and their interaction with various immune cells is very crucial to determine appropriate immunotherapies for VL. Here, we have discussed the role of cytokines involved in VL disease progression or host protection in different animal models and humans that will determine the clinical outcome of VL and open the path for the development of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools as well as therapeutic interventions against VL.

In the absence of effective and safe treatment for visceral leishmaniasis or Kala-azar – a devastating parasitic disease caused by Leishmania donovani – the search for anti-leishmanial agents from natural resources in common use is imperative. Recently, the comparative in vitro anti-leishmanial activity of methanolic extracts from two landraces of Piper betle – P. betle landrace Bangla Mahoba (PB-BM) and P. betle landrace Kapoori Vellaikodi (PB-KV) – has been reported. Here, the putative pathway responsible for death induced by the effective extract of PB-BM methanolic extract in promastigotes, as well as the intracellular amastigote form of L. donovani, was assessed using various biochemical approaches. It was found that PB-BM was capable of selectively inhibiting both stages of Leishmania parasites by accelerating apoptotic events by generation of reactive oxygen species targeting the mitochondria without any cytotoxicity towards macrophages. The study was extended to determine the presence or absence of activity of the methanolic extract of PB-BM and PB-KV on the basis of differences in essential oil composition present in the extract assessed by GC and MS. The essential oil from PB-BM was found to be rich in eugenol compared with that from PB-KV. The anti-leishmanial efficacy of PB-BM methanolic extract mediated through apoptosis is probably due to the higher content of eugenol in the active landrace. This observation emphasizes the need to extend studies related to traditional medicines from bioactive plants below the species level to the gender/landrace level for better efficacy and reproducibility.

Viral infections are a major threat to the human population due to the lack of selective therapeutic measures. The morbidity and mortality reported worldwide are very alarming against viral pathogens. The proinflammatory environment is required for viral inhibition by initiating the host immune response. The host immune response fights these pathogens by secreting different cytokines. Interleukin‐17 (IL‐17) a proinflammatory cytokine mainly produced by T helper type 17 cells, plays a vital role in the regulation of host immune response against various pathogens, including viruses. However, dysregulated production of IL‐17 induces chronic inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and may lead to cancer. Recent studies suggest that IL‐17 is not only involved in the antiviral immune response but also promotes virus‐mediated illnesses. In this review, we discuss the protective and pathogenic role of IL‐17 against various viral infections. A detailed understanding of IL‐17 during viral infections could contribute to improve therapeutic measures and enable the development of an efficient and safe IL‐17 based immunotherapy.

Leishmania produce several types of mucin-like glycoproteins called proteophosphoglycans (PPGs) which exist as secretory as well as surface-bound forms in both promastigotes and amastigotes. The structure and function of PPGs have been reported to be species and stage specific as in the case of Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana; there has been no such information available for Leishmania donovani. We have recently demonstrated that PPG is differentially expressed in sodium stibogluconate-sensitive and -resistant clinical isolates of L. donovani. To further elucidate the structure and function of the ppg gene of L. donovani, a partial sequence of its N-terminal domain of 1.6 kb containing the majority of antigenic determinants, was successfully cloned and expressed in prokaryotic as well as mammalian cells. We further evaluated the DNA-encoding N-terminal domain of the ppg gene as a vaccine in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) against the L. donovani challenge. The prophylactic efficacy to the tune of ∼80% was observed in vaccinated hamsters and all of them could survive beyond 6 mo after challenge. The efficacy was supported by a surge in inducible NO synthase, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12 mRNA levels along with extreme down-regulation of TGF-β, IL-4, and IL-10. A rise in the level of Leishmania-specific IgG2 was also observed which was indicative of enhanced cellular immune response. The results suggest the N-terminal domain of L. donovani ppg as a potential DNA vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis.

Dysregulated ROR-γt-mediated IL-17 transcription is central to the pathogenesis of several inflammatory disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms that govern the transcription factor activity of ROR-γt in the regulation of IL-17 are not fully defined. Here we show that SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 interacts with a conserved GKAE motif in ROR-γt to induce SUMOylation of ROR-γt and suppress IL-17 expression. Th17 cells expressing SUMOylation-defective ROR-γt are highly colitogenic upon transfer to Rag1^–/– mice. Mechanistically, SUMOylation of ROR-γt facilitates the binding of HDAC2 to the IL-17 promoter and represses IL-17 transcription. Mice with conditional deletion of HDAC2 in CD4⁺ T cells have elevated IL-17 expression and severe colitis. The identification of the Ubc9/ROR-γt/HDAC2 axis that governs IL-17 expression may open new venues for the development of therapeutic measures for inflammatory disorders.